Catalog

A Meal in One:Wilmington and the Submarine Sandwich

by Vince Watchorn

Here's what Wilmington's own Joe Biden had to say:

As a proud Irish American, I must give credit to the Italian Americans who settled in Delaware’s Little Italy, developed and popularized the culinary creation Wilmingtonians simply and affectionately call the “sub.” I give further credit to Vince Watchorn for publicizing this relatively little-known fact about our proud city to everyone who loves good food.

Like you, I frequently stop in one of Delaware’s established sub shops to pick up lunch, dinner or a late-night snack without thinking twice about the role the sub played in putting Delaware on the culinary map.

This book will change that.

In fact, the author highlights that the Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of the term “submarine sandwich” to its first-known printed usage—a 1940 Wilmington, Delaware phone book, advertising an “Italian Food Specialty.”

For all of us whose taste buds tingle at the sight of a freshly-made sub of Italian meats and cheeses, now you can eat that “Meal in One” knowing Wilmington, Delaware’s role in the making of a classic American food.